Adjaye Associates have been announced as the winner of the competition for the landmark project, The Abrahamic Family House on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi.

The Abrahamic Family House commissioned by The Higher Committee for Human Fraternity, is a collection of three religious spaces, a mosque, a synagogue and a church, which sit upon a secular visitor pavilion. The project is one of the first initiatives set by The Higher Committee, a new body, who are overseeing the implementation of the “Document of the Human Fraternity” at both regional and international levels. The landmark project hopes to embody the relationship between the three Abrahamic faiths whilst providing a platform for dialogue, understanding, and coexistence between their religions. The founding Higher Committee members include Christian, Islamic and Jewish faith leaders with new members to be invited to join in the coming months.

Unveiled at an event held at the New York Public Library on 20th September, The Abrahamic Family House will serve as a community for inter-religious dialogue and exchange, nurturing the values of peaceful co-existence and acceptance among different beliefs, nationalities and cultures. Within each of the houses of worship, visitors will have the opportunity to observe religious services, listen to holy scripture and experience sacred rituals. The fourth space - not affiliated with any specific religion - will serve as a center for all people of goodwill to come together as one. The community will also offer educational and event-based programming.